The goals of the proposed MBRS-SCORE program at NCA&T State University are to increase the number of minorities available to engage in biomedical research and to strengthen the biomedical research capability at the University. To achieve this goal the following measurable objectives are set forth for the program. First we plan to expand the number of funded biomedical researchers and the number of external research collaborations between faculty at our University and researchers at research intensive universities, industrial laboratories, and governmental agencies. Second we plan to increase the quality of research experiences and the number of M.S. degree recipients who will pursue Ph.D. degrees in biomedical sciences. Third we plan to increase the productivity of biomedical researchers at NCA&T State University. Fourth we plan to increase the on-site biomedical research capability of faculty and to improve existing research infrastructure in the departments of biology and chemistry. We believe that these goals and objectives can be accomplished through the research subprojects and the activities outlined in this proposal. The research projects contained in this program are diverse in nature and are designed to meet the above stated goal and objectives. Specifically, our research goals are: (a) to determine the roles of polyamines and antioxidants in the mechanism for cell apoptosis, (b) to determine metal binding in uridine and modified uridines using nmr and other spectroscopic methods, and (c) to use molecular modeling to study the pH dependence of protease activity in the human immunodeficiency virus. Student involvement in these projects will assure a diverse and highly trained pool of motivated students who will likely seek terminal degrees in the biomedical sciences.